LINDE SUPPLIERS: WHAT WE EXPECT
Going above and beyond
At Linde, we expect the same level of commitment and conduct from our suppliers that we expect from our employees. All of our business dealings must be based on fairness, honesty, lawfulness, safety, environmental stewardship and social consciousness. As a Linde supplier, you must also ensure compliance with our contractual agreements, Business Integrity & Ethics Policy, and supplier expectations.
TARGET Supplier Expectations
At Linde, we measure our suppliers in six key TARGET areas:
- Total Cost of Ownership
- Assurance Supply
- Responsiveness
- Global Reach & Human Rights
- Environment & Safety
- Technology
Total Cost of Ownership
We strive to minimize the total cost of our products and services to provide maximum value to our customers. To continue to do this, we expect our suppliers to:
- Provide a competitive cost structure for all products and services as benchmarked against peers. This cost structure includes acquisition, implementation and operating costs of products and services as well as aftermarket service and support.
- Demonstrate continuous improvement in cost structure
- Suggest ways that we can improve our products and services to achieve lower costs
Assurance Supply
We are committed to providing an uninterrupted supply of products and services to our customers. We expect our suppliers to:
- Provide a stable supply stream, free from defects and disruptions
- Be capable of delivering products and services at the point and time of need
Responsiveness
We respond quickly to customer inquiries, and we strive to efficiently resolve and eliminate any problems that might arise. To continue to do this, we expect our suppliers to:
- Respond to inquiries promptly with clear, complete and accurate information
- Be able to support changes in demand or requirements
- Expeditiously resolve any problems or supply disruption, taking appropriate measures to ensure they do not recur
Global Reach & Human Rights
We strategically align ourselves with suppliers who can support our strategies on a global, regional and local level. We expect our suppliers to:
- Support our needs at the local level and demonstrate the ability to function in the countries where we operate
- Provide coordinated global account management
- Ensure that products and services comply with the regulations and technical specifications for all localities to which products and services are provided
Linde is committed to recognizing and safeguarding human rights in all the countries in which we operate. We seek to do business with customers, suppliers and contractors who share our same commitment to human rights, specifically in relation to:
- Compensation
- Right to Work
- Prevention of Harassment
- Safety
- Freedom of Association
- Prohibition on the use of Child or Forced Labor
Environment & Safety
We strive to protect the health and safety of our customers, our suppliers and our employees. We expect our suppliers to have a safety program that is actively supported by top management, and at a minimum:
- Abide by all of our health and safety rules in performance of work on Linde sites
- Abide by all applicable governmental rules, regulations and laws
We seek to continuously improve our environmental performance, maintain environmentally sound business operations, integrate environmental considerations into our research, product and process development activities, and contribute to the common effort to protect our natural and workplace environment. At our sites, we expect our suppliers to:
- Ensure that all products and services comply with applicable environmental rules, regulations and laws
- Actively work to meet or exceed all of our applicable environmental and materials handling policies
Technology
We continuously strive for technology excellence to enable us to gain and maintain a competitive advantage in our chosen markets. We seek continuous improvement in products, services and business intelligence capabilities and we expect our suppliers to support our technology vision by:
- Working with us to develop technology road maps that are aligned with our future direction
- Meeting quality expectations on all items we identify as critical to quality
- Exhibiting continuous improvement strategies for products and services offered, including more efficient product development cycles and improvements in product performance
- Providing market intelligence about the technical direction of the products and services you supply
- Utilizing information systems that will allow us to take advantage of lower cost electronic purchasing capabilities